02/18/2013

Mack Brown's message to Rick Barnes - don't lose to TCU

This is not what we had in mind when TCU joined the Big 12 - Bad vs. Really Bad.

On Tuesday night at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum, the TCU men's basketball team hosts the University of Texas in a game that still must be played. Texas is in eighth in the Big 12. TCU is 12th in a 10-team league.

TCU has lost three straight since upsetting No. 5 Kansas 62-55 on Feb. 6.

When TCU upset the Longhorns football team on Thanksgiving, all of UT nation felt shame. That point may have been the single most uncomfortable moment for Horns' coach Mack Brown.

It's one thing to be embarrassed (again) by Oklahoma in the Red River game in Dallas. It's quite another to lose at home against a squad of TCU freshmen, and a quarterback who was almost a running back.

Even though UT's football team was down, losing to that TCU team in Austin was a smack in the face.

Much like Mack Brown, UT men's basketball coach Rick Barnes is having his worst season in Austin since he arrived in 1998. The team can't score, there isn't enough talent, and the return of point guard Myck Kabongo from NCAA suspension is too late.

The Horns have six games remaining before the Big 12 tournament. Unless they win the conference tournament (they won't) the Horns are going to miss the NCAA tourney for the first time in the Barnes era. They can still post a winning record, and likely will be invited to one of those low tier tournaments that only gamblers watch.

There are soft whispers that perhaps Dodds should violate his own rules and fire a coach who is losing. UT would be dumb to fire a man who has done so much to build that program, but if Barnes wants to make sure his detractors remain at the fringe he would be wise not to lose to TCU.

Comments

TCU has a reason for being bad this year - TEXAS DOESN'T! In football, Patterson will always outcoach Brown -ALWAYS! Like Royal said, he can beat you with his guys and then take your guys and beat you again.(or something like that)